Unicef to help improve Tripura schools

Agartala, Oct 30 (IANS) Unicef will prepare an action plan to help the Tripura government to provide quality drinking water, sanitation and hygiene in schools, an official said Wednesday.

A three-member team of Unicef (United Nations Children's Fund) led by Dipendar Kapoor visited Tripura's Unokoti district and met local officials and headmasters of schools in the area.

"The Unicef team has given a questionnaire to the headmasters of all the schools in the Unokoti district to reply about the availability of quality drinking water, sanitation and hygiene in their schools. After getting the replies from the schools, the Unicef would prepare an action plan for these schools," Unokoti additional district magistrate Sunil Debbarma told IANS.

Debbarma said the Tripura school education department would act after getting Unicef's action plan report.

While talking to reporters, Kapoor said Unicef was working for a long time to improve water supply, sanitation and hygiene in schools in India.

"It is essential for children to survive, grow and develop into healthy and fulfilled citizens of the world. In the broader context, Unicef's activities in water, sanitation and hygiene contribute to the achievement of the millennium development goals," he added.

Tripura, which recently achieved the first position in literacy in the country with a 94.65 percent literacy rate, beating Kerala (93.91 percent), has 4,798 schools, including 3,655 junior and senior basic schools and 382 higher secondary schools.

According to a Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG) report, 37 percent schools in Tripura have no toilet and 57 percent schools have no toilet for girls.

The CAG report, which was presented in the state assembly recently, said 88 percent schools have no electricity, 38 percent have no playground, 42 percent have no ramp, 30 percent have no kitchen shed and 18 percent schools have no drinking water facilities.